A neophyte shottist's exploration and exercise.... Read by dozens daily

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

I Sicken Myself

I am actually sorta considering... getting... I almost can't get the words out. Getting a... Glock.

There.

Ick. ~ptui~

You know how I've harped on a slim pistol for CCW with a simpler Operating System than a 1911 but more oomphy than a 5 shot snubbie? Well there is the G36 Slimline by... uh... Glock.

Of course I'd have to at least handle one first. See if I still shoot Glocks about as well as I am at making free throws blindfolded.

And I should probably wait. I'm guessing they will probably at a 'G47' that shoots .40 in a single stack. And after they do other, similar, gun manufacturers may move into the same market niche. I'd most prefer an XD in this flavor (slim single stack striker fired) pistol. I heard bad things about Glocks and .40s and unsupported cases that I'm not too thrilled with. Has to do with feed ramps and chamber shapes or somesuch.

I do find it interesting that folks besides me are looking for LESS capacity in the mag these days. I wonder if that is a much larger trend. For a while, 20+ years ago, cramming extra bullets in the pistol was the be all end all, if I remember the zeitgeist correctly. At least it seemed to me. "I can hold 12!" vs. "Well I can hold 15!!!" vs. "Shut up, n00bs, my HK VP70 holds 18!!!!1!11!!!eleven" seems to have faded and doesn't mean you win the fight. Of course the US military fell for this trend, in partial way, as that was one of the numerous selling points of the Berreta replacement of the 1911. I think I'd still find the 1911 more practical. Another subject I like to think about and speculate wildly on.

~~~

I fondled a Sig E2, the new grip system from Sig, at the gunstore on Buy Ammo Day two Fridays ago.. It's supposed to be slimmer. It doesn't FEEL that much slimmer. Nothing to write home about at least.

How many gunfight defenses exceed 3 shots fired? There are a few instances of 10 shots used. Nobody wishes for less ammo but no one actually uses more.

I discount the panic firing situations that sometimes happens. Where the news reports says there were 43 rounds by police and none hit the suspect. In those cases their pistols could have been KelTec PMRs with 30 rounds per mag and not done much more good. The lesson there is more training so there is less panic under stress, not more ammo.

My take has always been that the most important thing is for the person carrying the gun to be comfortable.

If they want a slimmer handgun, then fine by me. If they want a fat double-stack, chock full of ammo, then that is also fine by me.

I did once have a student who went overboard a bit, though. He was partially paralyzed in his right hand during knife attack by three teenagers. Since he was outnumbered when injured, he became obsessed with carrying extra ammo.

Eventually he was carrying a 15-round mag in the gun, two extra on his belt, and he was using velcro strips to attach 50-round extended mags to his supenders.

You might want to look at an XD or M&P if you are used to shooting a 1911. I found that both felt more natural given the same grip angle as a 1911 than the Glock did. It's a personal preference, and I would recommend shooting them all before purchasing.

I believe the trend towards single stacks is based on the rise of CCW holders nationwide, combined with the need to follow corporate dress codes for the office crowd. They have a perception that if they are sitting at the computer in their cube, they don't want anything "Printing" through their clothing. Yet they also feel that a pocket .380 might not be enough to see them through trouble.

But if you are wearing your Tinfoil Hat, you could always say that the Gun Companies are getting ready just in case the Obama Administration decides to re-impose the 10 round magazine limit, along with other gun control restrictions by using the Czars to force Unconstitutional Regulations upon the Republic.

On the other hand, since the TSA has said that their Scanning and Pat Downs violate the Constitution, and they don't care, maybe there is something to the Conspiracy theories out there.

Nah, that's a silly idea, right? With the SCOTUS rulings on Heller and MacDonald, such a thing can't happen, correct? I mean, it'd be just as silly as putting in an Oil Drill Ban in the Gulf of Mexico and keeping it running in spite of a Federal Judge ruling that it's Unconstitutional, right? Never happen.

On the gripping hand, however, I think it's probably something to do with Manufacturing Costs and Marketing by the Gun Companies. 2 ounces less polymer per handgun, multiplied by 10,000 units per month, times the cost of the Petroleum to make the plastic in the first place, which gets passed along to the Consumer, yet one needs to keep the profits high, yeah, that might be it.

But on the other gripping hand, if people trade in the Double Stacks for Single stacks, there will probably be some good deals out there soon at the Gun Stores.

Good Advice

"You never select a shotgun as your primary anti-zombie firearm. It's great for onesy twosey, but zombies travel in hordes. The reload time is onerous, and the ammo, while effective, is heavy and bulky and short ranged."

Big Mistake for Her

If Ginsberg had let Scalia put the words "strict scrutiny" in Heller and Hillary said "Gun control is just not going to be a priority for my administration," Hillary would have been elected President.

About Me

Preamble

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.